Wanted: the owner of this vehicle

Police and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council are trying to locate the owner of a car found abandoned on Papamoa Beach near the Kaituna River mouth.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council pollution prevention team leader Steve Pickles said staff had not yet been able to identify the owner of the car which was found on Monday as it was partially buried in the sand preventing them getting at the serial number.

"We believe the vehicle is a Mitsubishi 4X4 RVR. So far the police have not had any vehicles fitting this description reported as stolen, so we are interested in locating the owner."

Mr Pickles said it was important to remove any vehicles abandoned on a beach as they posed a pollution risk. Fuel, oil and battery acid may seep into the sand or out into the water and potentially have a harmful effect on the environment.

The partly submerged vehicle structure could also be a risk to beach users, particularly as it broke up over time from the effects of the surf and tide, he said.

Meanwhile, another car was also recovered from the same stretch of beach on Monday just before it was bogged down by the tide. The stranded car was found near Harrisons Cut in Papamoa.

Police believe it was stolen sometime overnight.

If you have any information about these stolen cars, contact Tauranga police on 577 4300.